BJP only big gainer

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday
uprooted Congress from its stronghold in Jammu by crossing double digit mark for
the first time in the history of State election triggering all round
celebrations.

BJP, candidates riding high on the sentiments of Amarnath
land agitation, crushed their rival Congress candidates on seven out of 11 seats
in Jammu district.

In the final tally, the BJP emerged biggest gainer in
the region winning 11 out of 37 seats increasing its tally by 10 more seats
while the Congress won 13 seats, two less than its previous tally of 15 from
Jammu region.

Former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad managed to win his
seat with a big margin of over 29,000 votes from Bhaderwah while all his Cabinet
colleagues lost their seats. State BJP chief Ashok Khajuria and Prof Chaman Lal
Gupta won Jammu east and Jammu west seats with thumping majority.

Celebrations started in the old city as BJP workers burst crackers and
danced to the tunes of drum beats.

Common voter punished Congress
candidates and former Ministers in the Azad-led coalition Government for their
non-performance and maintaining stoic silence over the issue of Amarnath land
row.

The Congress could barely manage to win three seats from Jammu
district. One of its heavyweight candidates from posh Gandhi Nagar seat managed
to retain his seat beating former BJP state president Prof Nirmal Singh with a
narrow margin. The BJP lost Vijayour seat by a wafer thin margin of barely 27
votes to NC’s Surjit Singh Slathia.

One independent candidate from
Bishnah Assembly seat defeated Congress Minister Gulchain Singh Charak. Shipli
Verma, widow of Kuldeep Verma, who had sacrificed his life during the Amarnath
land agitation failed to garner enough votes and finished fourth from Bishnah.

National Conference, despite facing odds in Jammu region, managed to
retain six seats. The party had won nine seats in 2002 poll. National Conference
won two seats in Rajouri, one each in Poonch, Kishtwar and Jammu and Reasi
districts.

For the first time, the PDP opened its account in Jammu
region as well. Party candidate from Darhal Assembly segment Zulfikar Ali and
Sardar Rafique Khan from Mendhar won the poll defeating their rival National
Conference candidates.

The only saving grace for the Congress was the
performance of its candidates in Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar districts from where
it won five out of six seats. BJP candidate from Kishtwar lost the seat to NC
candidate by a narrow margin of over 100 votes.

Several Congress
stalwarts who included former Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma, high
profile Ministers Jugal Kishore from Reasi and Mula Ram from Raipur Domana,
former Health Minister Suman Lata Bhagat from RS Pura and Minister of State
Gharu Ram from Suchetgarh faced defeats at the hands of BJP candidates. Three
Congress MLAs, including Speaker Tara Chand from Chamb, Shyam Lal Sharma from
Akhnoor and Gandhinagar MLA Raman Bhalla emerged victorious in a photo finish
contest. Congress lost its face in Kathua district as well. The BJP wrested
three seats in Kathua. Congress managed to win only one seat from Billawar
Assembly seat while an Independent candidate, retired Government servant,
Charanjit Singh Jasrotia handed over crushing defeat to Congress MP Lal Singh.
His wife, sitting MLA from Basohli also lost the seat to BJP ‘s Jagdish Raj
Sapolia.

National Conference provincial president Ajay Sadhotra also
failed to save his seat. He lost Marh Assembly constituency to BJP’s Sukh Nandan
Choudhary by over 10,000 votes.

Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party somehow
managed to retain its seats in Udhampur and Samba. Three party candidates,
former Minister Harsh Dev Singh from Ramnagar, Balwant Singh Mankotia from
Udhampur and Yashpaul Kundal from Samba, won their seats beating BJP
candidates.

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